


Time's Up

by Amelia Abernathy (authr2b)



Series: Seven Day Challenge [4]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Timers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-23 06:45:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3758353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/authr2b/pseuds/Amelia%20Abernathy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Yeager thought his soulmate, whoever it may have been, had died when he was twelve, but thirteen years later, an event just short of a miracle occurs.</p><p>Day 4/7 Challenge: AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time's Up

Eren woke with a yawn and rolled over onto his side. He turned on his light and happened to catch a glance at the timer on his wrist. He bolted upright and stared at the numbers saying he had eight hours and twenty-two minutes before he met his soulmate. 

But that couldn't be right.

His timer had gone red thirteen years ago in the middle of his sixth grade English class to say his soulmate was dead. 

Everyone had given him these looks full of pity and Annie Leonhardt, whose timer had gone red in kindergarten, gave him her Harry Potter bracelet to cover it up until he could get home and find a way to cover it himself.

So why was his timer counting down now? 

After a few minutes, he decided that it must be a malfunction and rolled out of bed, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. 

 

He and Annie had stayed friends since both of their timers were red. They had decided a couple years ago that they'd get together once she was done with Med school and he had gotten his doctorate in Literature.

They met for lunch after their classes were over and he told her his timer had started counting down again. 

She frowned. "Well, I've heard of people having more than one soulmate, so maybe somebody else lost their first soulmate like you and then whatever is behind the timers decided that you two should be together." She took a sip of her drink before continuing with, "It's not very likely that's what happened though, I think there have been maybe five cases of this happening." Eren nodded. 

"I understand." He tapped his fingers on the table, wondering what might have caused it. "Annie, has yours ever done that?" Annie shook her head and pulled her sleeve up, showing home the timer saying she had twelve and a half years until she met her soulmate.

"I actually did the math. I would have met them just before graduation." She said sadly. "And you know what sucks? That military family that moved in across from you back home? They had a son that got hit by a drunk driver the day my timer went red." She swallowed hard. "I didn't bother telling them he might have been my soulmate." She moved her bracelets so that they covered her wrist.

Eren walked Annie to her apartment before headed home, the land-lord caught him as he headed up the stairs to tell him a young man was waiting outside his apartment to answer Eren’s campus ad calling for roommates. 

Eren rushed upstairs, unaware of the timer steadily ticking down on his wrist. 

A blond haired man stood outside his door, reading a Jane Austen novel, smiling softly as he read. Eren had to control himself when he realized he might have a gorgeous person living in his spare bedroom.

“Hi!” Eren called, breaking the man out of his trance. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” He held his hand out and the man took it. 

“Armin Arlert.” he replied, they both froze when they ealized both of their timers had ticked down to all zeros.

“Well I’ll be damned.” Eren whispered. 

 

They sat in an awkward silence for several minutes as Eren made coffee, and neither spoke until Eren had set two cups of coffee down on the table.

“So I guess what I’m not what you expected.” Armin said softly. “Is it because I’m a guy or because I’m too thin or what?” Eren sat down in front of him as Armin stared at him with sad puppy eyes. 

“I’m going to be honest, anyone would have surprised me at this point.” eren touched his timer gingerly. “See, my timer went red about thirteen or fourteen years ago.” Armin blushed.

“Oh that… Yeah, I have heart-problems, I won’t bore you with the particulars right now, but about that time, my health was really bad and I was on the brink of death for a few days, and according to my grandfather, the timer will turn red for that period, he had it happen with my grandmother. So, I’m sorry that I freaked you out. But,” Armin gave him a questioning glance, “Did you never look at it afterwards?” Eren shook his head.

“I thought I’d know what I’d see, and I didn’t want to be reminded that I’d never meet my soulmate.” He smiled at Armin, “but I guess that doesn’t matter now.” Armin chuckled.  
“So, how does this even go now?” Armin asked, “Do we just get married or do we date or what?” 

“Why don’t we just take it slow?” Eren said. “I mean, we’ve already jumped to the living together part, so we may as well just ease into it. Either way, we’re both still working on our degrees, and need to focus on that as well.” 

“wait, we haven’t even talked about the roommate thing.” Armin pointed out. Eren’s eybrows rose.

“Seriously?” He asked with a laugh. “The soulmate I thought was dead suddenly appears at my door to talk about rooming and you think I’m going to say no?” Armin laughed, and Eren’s heart flipped at the sound.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m sorry.” Armin smiled at him. “I look forward to being your roommate.” 

 

Eren called Annie while Armin waited downstairs for his mother to arrive with his things in a u-haul and explained everything to her. She was happy for him, but he could hear the jealousy in her voice and knew she wished she had the same luck. 

 

A few months later, Eren woke up with his arms around Armin, who was still fast asleep and smiled.

For years he had felt the piteous gazes of people on the street who had found out his timer was red, he hadn’t gone to the school dances and events because he would have to see the other kids with working timers who had gone their with their soulmates or were going to meet their soulmates, and he didn’t want to have to face the fact that he’d never be among them. For thirteen long years he didn’t hink he’d ever find someone he’d love.

But now, looking at Armin, he knew that it was all worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Update: So Marsha gave me a list of prompts for Eremin, one of which was a soulmate AU. So by popular demand, I shall be adding to this in a separate fic told from Armin's pov which gives some more background and goes into what happened between them moving in and the end of the fic. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the fic!


End file.
